


There Was Only One Bed

by NancyDfan



Category: Nancy Drew (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Pre-Relationship, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED, do I even have to say that, non Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:46:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23902549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NancyDfan/pseuds/NancyDfan
Summary: Scott and Nancy spend the day on errands, but when his truck breaks down, they rent the only room that’s available.
Relationships: Nancy Drew/Scott Varnell, Scott Varnell/Nancy Drew
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	There Was Only One Bed

**Author's Note:**

> I realized I never wrote this trope so I decided what the heck. It’s not earth shattering but I have published it so you’re welcome world.
> 
> Not betad. Enjoy the typos. I apologize for nothing.

Nancy sits pensive in the passenger seat of Scott’s faded pick-up truck. This isn’t the first time she’s worked with Scott since she entered Oklahoma, but it is the first time they’ve been confined, alone, in such a small space. They’re off to a hardware store to pick up supplies Pa’s store doesn’t stock. Scott announces in the morning Nancy will be occupying him. By the look on his face, Nancy suspects it’s Debbie’s idea to bring Nancy along. She wonders if it’s more to do with Debbie’s desire to avoid Scott than have Nancy bond with him. Either way, Nancy’s less than enthusiastic. Navigating his personality while trying to solve a mystery and muster through enough meteorologic knowledge to pass as an intern has been interesting to say the least. 

“Don’t psycho-analysis me,” Scott growls barely an hour into their day. Nancy scoffs and considers a verbal rebuttal but decides it won’t change his mind. She has been analyzing him after all. It’s half the battle with Scott. She realizes early on that he notices more than what people give him credit for. He is a meteorologist after all, and Scott’s been tuned to notice subtilty. The ironic flipside is he misses the glaringly obvious social cues or missteps Nancy and the rest of the team have been committing. Nancy wonders if he’s really this obtuse, or if he simply doesn’t care anymore. She suspects the latter considering his denied tenure and community mistakes, and she debates if he is the one behind the sabotage. Nancy isn’t sure about this yet, but she decides to watch him closer. Her eyes uptick to scan his face, and she picks up a quick flick of his eyes. He’s noticed her gaze, and she settles back into a lowered glance to divert any suspicion. 

“Out, we have work to do,” Scott announces after he’s parked the car outside the Home Depot. Nancy inwardly groans. She doesn’t mind the work; she’s used to it after all this time considering the amount of chores she’s completed through her detective work. But this case feels excessive, and she’s running from one task to the next. She misses the actual casework. 

“Did you order ahead?” Nancy asks, following into step beside him. 

Scott shakes his head. “We, uh, we don’t actually have college funds for these supplies.”

Nancy cocks a brow. “Then how are we paying for these?” 

“You know, Nancy,” Scott sighs. He gives her a disapproving look, lips pushed into a tight line. “Most people would consider it rude to ask.” Scott walks off keeping her from offering any response. She follows him through the store wondering exactly why she’s been asked to accompany Scott. He refuses to share the list, and the most she gets out of him is “No,” and “Out of my way”. By the time they begin to check out, Nancy’s both hungry and cranky. 

“What’s this?” Scott holds up a bottle of Coca-Cola. 

Nancy adds a bag of chips. “It’s my breakfast slash lunch.” 

“I’m not paying for this,” Scott tells her, placing the items off the belt. 

Nancy looks at him. “So, you’re the one paying for the supplies. How generous of you.” Scott glares at her. He begins to put her drink and chips on the snack stand when Nancy swipes them from his hands. “I’ll pay for them. I didn’t eat breakfast, and I’m starving.” 

“Eat one of those chocolate bars you always seem to have,” Scott mutters. 

“I gave the last one I had to Frosty last night,” she answers. “Now if you’ll excuse me.” Nancy turns and walks to the nearest register and checks out. She’s munched on half the chips by the time Scott pushes one of the carts towards her. “Need help?” 

Scott shoves the cart to her, and Nancy catches it easily. She looks back and sees Scott dragging the other two with him. Nancy walks from the store, towards Scott’s pick up, and waits for him to unlock the truck. He orders her inside while he puts the supplies away, and Nancy shrugs, not caring enough to argue. She’s polished off her chips and most of her soda by the time he climbs into the driver’s seat. He sits there for several moments in silence, never turning on the engine. Finally, he glances at her. “We can stop and grab something to eat.” 

Nancy grins. “That’d be great, Scott. But not McDonald’s. I don’t really like their food.” 

They end up at McDonald’s. 

Nancy orders a chocolate shake and two chocolate chip cookies to spite him. She sees him watch her with disgust as she bites into the gooey center. Nancy licks slowly at the chocolate on her fingertips, and it’s so obscene and ridiculous she has to keep from laughing. Scott offers her the desired effect, however, so Nancy figures it’s worth it. 

“I don’t know how you can drink that stuff,” Scott mutters once they’re back on the road. Nancy’s hunched in the passenger seat, too full to move, and absentmindedly sipping on her chocolate milkshake. 

“Because it’s delicious,” Nancy sighs heavily.

Scott snorts. “It looks like shit.”

“Tomato, to-ma-to,” she murmurs and leans against the window. Her eyeballs are heavy, and it isn’t long before she drops off to sleep.

“Hey, hey, get up,” a voice breaks into Nancy’s happy dreamland. She feels a hand on her shoulder shaking her. “Come on, dammit, get up.”

Nancy blinks slowly. “We’re, we’re home already?”

“No,” this time Nancy recognizes the voice as Scott. “I stopped at a rest stop. Might be a good time to use the bathroom considering all you ate.”

Nancy lifts her brows with disgust, but her bladder agrees with the man’s comment. She bursts from the truck and rushes to the ladies restroom.

She splashes water against her face and dries it with a paper towel. Her hair looks disheveled, and Nancy takes her fingers through it trying to polish her look. She’s not sure why she bothers considering her only companion is Scott, but she feels better once her task is through nonetheless. 

“How much longer?” Nancy asks Scott as she approaches the truck. 

“At least an hour,” Scott eyes the vehicle. “Hopefully, if my engine holds up.” 

Nancy cocks a brow. “What do you mean if your engine holds up?” 

Scott turns away for a second, his lips pushed forward. He huffs and looks back at her. “The engine is overheating. Don’t know why.”

“Is that why you stopped here?” Nancy questions. Scott nods. “So, what are we going to do? Just wait it out?”

Scott plops down on a bench. “I added water. Hopefully it’ll cool down enough to make it home by nightfall.”

“Hopefully,” Nancy mutters. She reaches into the front seat and grabs her phone. “I’m going for a walk.” Scott doesn’t acknowledge her so she shrugs figuring he won’t take off without her. Scott can do many things, but she doubts he could successfully explain away why she was left behind. 

Nancy walls around the rest stop. She listens to her music playlist just enjoying the peace and calm of a moment alone. The sun that once filled the sky has been covered with clouds, and the wind has picked up. She wonders if a storm is coming in; she suspects so. Stormy weather is one thing she’s gotten accustomed to since arriving in Oklahoma.

About a half an hour later, Nancy wanders back to Scott and his truck. He almost looks peeved to see her. “Where have you been?” 

“Enjoying the scenery,” Nancy shrugs. “It beats the company here.”

Scott stares at her for a second either caught off guard or contemplating a comeback. He turns away and walks to the driver’s side. Nancy races to the passenger seat when she hears the engine kick over. Her door is still open as Scott drives away. 

“So, the engine? It’s better?” Nancy questions. She eyes him and watches his jaw tighten. He maintains his focus on the road. Nancy leans forward to make sure he can see her. “Scott? How’s the engine?” 

“Why are you talking to me?” Scott jerks to glare at her. “I thought I was terrible company.” 

Nancy narrows her eyes. “Scott, I spent the first hour of our trip trying to engage with you, and you basically told me to bug off. And when I asked to eat anywhere but McDonald’s, you take me there. If you wanted me to think better of you, why are you doing everything to ignore or purposely annoy me?” 

Scott’s silent. “Engine is running, but I don’t know if it’ll overheat again. Watching it right now. Let’s hope we make it cause a storm is coming in.” 

She nods. “I wondered about that. It’s gotten awfully cloudy.” 

“Debbie insisted nothing would develop today, but I had a feeling we'd have at least one storm,” Scott remarks. 

“Do you think there’s a chance it’ll be tornadic?” 

Scott shakes his head. “But I could be wrong. We’ve been running for a few hours.” 

“And you haven’t checked your phone?” Nancy teases. 

She thinks she sees a quick up-tick of his lips. “Maybe once or twice.” Nancy smiles and turns back towards the window. 

The miles roll on, and it’s silent between them again until “Shit,” Scott mutters. Nancy doesn’t have to ask to know what’s wrong. “We’re overheating.” Scott’s eyes scan the horizon. “Gonna find a place to pull over. I might need to call a tow truck if this keeps up.” 

“We could really use Chase right now,” Nancy remarks lightly. Scott grunts but says nothing. He drives for several more minutes before flipping on the turn signals. Scott guides the truck to a motel nestled on the side of the road. “Did you want me to call AAA?” 

“Don’t have that,” Scott answers and slides out of his seat. Nancy follows behind him. “I’m going to see if I can cool the engine off again. Maybe I can get this old truck home before the rain begins.” 

Nancy decides he doesn’t need her help and disappears to find a restroom and maybe a vending machine. The chocolate shake and cookie may have been a bad idea after all, and she hopes to find a stick of gum. She finds the restroom easily, but a bored motel employee advises the vending machine is “sold out.” Nancy sighs, frustrated, and walks back to the truck. Scott’s bending over the engine. “Find what you need?”

“Yeah,” Scott answers then lifts up. “But I have to be honest with you, Nancy, I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Nancy holds in her snort. She figures as much considering his lack of explanation earlier. “Why don’t we call someone? Maybe they can come and fix it.”

Scott bites at his lip, frowning deeply. He looks up at the sky then sighs. “This is just what I needed.” Nancy doesn’t get the chance to say anything more before he disappears back towards the front office. She figures there’s not much she can do except wait. Nancy takes a seat next to the truck and passes the time absentmindedly scrolling through her phone. Her battery warns her of low power by the time she hears gravel rustling. A long shadow casts over her, and she looks up at Scott. “They can’t get out here today.”

“What?” Nancy cries horrified. She shakes her head. “They have no one free?” 

“Small town and it’s Sunday,” Scott shrugs. “Suppose it was to be expected. Chase said he could come tomorrow.”

Nancy starts at that. “What do you mean tomorrow? What are we supposed to do today? Why can’t he come now?”

Scott drops into a squat beside her and holds out his phone. “Severe thunderstorm. Might be tornadic although it’s still too early to tell. They’re going out to get data and footage.”

“You can’t be serious,” she drawls. Nancy rolls her eyes feeling her annoyance growing. “Do you think your truck can get us home?”

Scott stands up. “I can try.” But when he sticks the key in the engine, this time the truck doesn’t start. Nancy hears the engine struggling as Scott tries again and again. He slams his door and looks over the hood at her. “Not a good sign.” 

Nancy folds her arms. Her frustration builds. “So what? We find a room and bunker down?”

Scott stares at her for a moment like she’s insane. In hindsight, she understands why. “I’ll just sleep in the truck. If you want a room, you’re on your own.”

“Fine,” she answers sharply, more annoyed at the situation than Scott. He cocks an eyebrow, but she ignores him. Nancy opens the truck door and grabs her purse. She walks towards the front office and nods at the man behind the counter. “A room please.” 

The room she’s given is severely dated with furnishings straight out of a spooky tv show. There’s a large bed in the center of the room with a table and chair at the front right corner. A small night table sits to the side of the bed with a lamp on top, and Nancy can see the tiny bathroom through the doorway on the right. On the left wall is a rod used to hang clothing. The room is stuffy, the owner advised the air conditioning is out, but Nancy spots a window at the front of the room. She opens it up and let’s the air come in. It’s not much better with the pre-storm humidity, but it’s a start she figures. She places her purse on the table then drops on the bed relaxing into the sheets.

Raindrops hitting the ceiling soon fill the room, and Nancy walks to the window to stare out at the rain. It lasts only for a few minutes before the sun comes back out. The air feels hotter than before, and she sinks back frustrated. 

She’s barely found a comfortable spot when she hears a knock on the door. “It’s not locked,” she calls.

The door creaks open, and Scott pokes his head inside. “Hey, mind if I come in?”

Nancy waves him onward but warns, “There’s no ac.”

“Beats the truck,” Scott replies and sits in the chair. He plugs his phone cord into the wall then looks awkwardly over at Nancy. “Sorry to bug you but apparently you took the last room and I needed a wall outlet.”

Nancy shakes her disbelieving. “I can’t believe this rundown motel is booked.”

“Well, it’s the only one on this stretch of road so it can be popular for,” he breaks off with an awkward cough. “Anyway, I won’t stay too long. I just need a long enough charge so I can track the storm.”

“The rain we had wasn’t very impressive,” Nancy notes.

Scott nods looking down at the phone. “That’s the problem. The humidity is higher now, and the atmosphere is more unstable. The chance for severe storms, even tornadoes, is higher because of it.”

Nancy feels alarmed. “Tornadoes?”

Scott eyes here. “We’re in Oklahoma, Nancy. It’s why you’re here.”

“Yeah but we have a truck that doesn’t run and a motel without a basement,” Nancy sits up and crosses her legs. She rests back into the pillows. “I don’t like being stuck here.”

Scott offers a small smile. “We’ll be okay.” And Nancy watches him curious at the gesture.

Suddenly, Nancy hears a loud, aching sound. She stares at Scott. “Is that your stomach?”

He drops a hand over his stomach and frowns. “It’s been a few hours since we ate.”

“I have a cookie in my purse.”

Scott gives her a disdainful look. “The chocolate chip one?” Nancy shrugs. “No, thanks.”

“Suit yourself,” she remarks and goes back to her phone. His stomach growling fills the air again, and a small part of her takes pity on him. Besides, she feels the growing pang of hunger as well. “Do you think they’ll deliver a pizza here?”

Scott’s face lights up, and Nancy has to hide her smile. “Maybe? We can ask the front desk.”

Of course the operator doesn’t pick up so Scott and Nancy end up back at the front desk where the man gives them a list of local restaurants. They order a large pepperoni pizza and sodas, and Nancy pays the man gratefully once the food arrives. 

“This is pretty good,” Nancy begins between mouthfuls. Scott muffles his agreement as he bites into another piece. “I’m glad they delivered.”

“Me too,” Scott echoes. “I can’t even get pizza delivered to my place.”

“Really?” Nancy exclaims. “That’s weird.”

“Not really,” he replies, mouth full of food. “Small towns, people don’t want to drive a long distance to deliver food.”

Nancy nods. “I can understand that.” She bites into her pizza and chews slowly, thinking. “Did you notice the man at the front desk giving us the stink eye?”

Scott shrugs. “He doesn’t buy my broken down truck story.”

“Why not?” Nancy laughs. “That’s ridiculous. What does he think your story is?” 

Scott freezes mid bite and eyes her. “You must know.” She shakes her head, and he huffs, setting his pizza down. “He thinks we’re hooking up.”

Nancy’s eyes shoot wide. “What? Why?”

“I told you, Nancy, these type of motels are popular for specific reasons,” Scott takes a swig of his soda. “How old are you again?”

“18,” Nancy hesitates, feeling uneasy with this line of questioning.

“That’s why,” he puts his bottle down and goes back to the pizza. “You’re young, and I’m obviously not. He probably doesn’t know your age and thinks the worst of me. I would too, frankly, in his position.”

Nancy sits quiet. She chews absentmindedly at the pizza before setting the rest of it down. As silly as it may seem, the notion someone thinks the worst of them upsets her. She looks at Scott, and he munches away. Nancy figures he either doesn’t care or is used to people having low opinions of him. The rest of the team certainly does so she decides it’s probably par for the course. 

The cell phones buzz suddenly with notifications. Nancy picks hers up and reads the weather alert: Severe Thunderstorm Warning. She looks over at Scott. “So, what’s the word, professor?”

Scott cocks his head, an amused look spread across his features. “We hunker down. It’s going to get rough soon.”

“Tornadoes?” she hears the fear in her voice, and he shakes his head. “Good. We’ve had enough adventure for one day. Besides, we don’t have our equipment so it would be a waste.”

Scott laughs lightly before standing and securing the front door and the window. “Guess we wait.”

Nancy nods and sits on the bed. She pats on the mattress inviting Scott to join here. Scott flicks an eyebrow up. “I have a deck of cards in my purse. Did you want to play?”

“Sure, why not,” Scott shrugs and slides upon the mattress. 

She returns with cards in hand. This time she kicks off her shoes before joining him cross legged on the bed. “What do you want to play?”

“I really don’t care,” he answers, and they settle on Go Fish. 

“How long have you been teaching?” Nancy asks sometime during their third game.

“About fifteen years.”

“Do you still enjoy it?”

“No,” comes his quick response, and Nancy watches him carefully asking why not. “Canute and I aren’t...Nancy, it’s hard to explain, but my classes, the students, our leadership, it’s all changed. I don’t look forward to teaching anymore.” 

Nancy pushes her lips into a tight line. “Then why don’t you do something else?”

Scott snorts. “That’s easy for an eighteen year old to say. I’m 42, Nancy. I can’t just up and quit my entire field.”

“I don’t know,” Nancy pushes back. “If you’re unhappy-”

“A lot of people are unhappy, Nancy,” Scott interjects. “I won’t be the last.” A large clap of thunder stops Nancy before she can say anything else. Scott turns to look at the window before glancing back at her. He smirks slightly. “That’s one thing I still love. Weather never disappoints.”

Nancy watches him as he slides from the bed and moves the blinds back to peer out the window. She considers warning him of the danger but stops deciding the field expert may be insulted by the comment. He comes back shortly after, but the game has stalled. Nancy picks up the cards and places them back into the box. She’s just put the deck back into her purse when the lights flicker and then the room goes dark. “Well, that’s just great,” she mutters, stumbling back to the bed.

“I thought this might happen,” Scott’s voice calls beside her, and she reaches out until she feels where he’s seated on the bed. “It’s not like we’re missing out on the AC.”

Nancy confesses this is true and tries to relax back into the bed. They sit there together and listen to the storm. It unleashes it’s fury on the tiny building, and she feels the walls shake. But like many violent storms, it’s over in only a few minutes, and soon Scott opens the window to let the cooler air come in. “Do you think that’s the end of the storms for tonight?” Scott nods in the darkness, and Nancy yawns. “I’m glad. I’d like to get some sleep tonight.”

A bright light cuts into the darkness as Scott checks his phone. “I guess it has gotten late. Well, I’ll head back to the truck. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“You don’t have to go,” the words rush from Nancy’s mouth before she can stop them. She sees that Scott’s paused at the door to look at her. “I mean, you can stay in here. There’s no point in sleeping out there alone.” 

“It won’t be the first time, Nancy,” he responds, voice tight. Nancy knows not to wonder why.

Instead, she slides from the bed and walks to stand before him. “Scott, it’s fine. We have a long drive still tomorrow, and I’d feel bad if you were cramped in the driver's seat.” 

“That chair’s not better,” Scott points out.

“I didn’t mean the chair,” she responds softly.

Realization dawns on his face. “I won’t share a bed with you.”

“Why not?” Nancy huffs. 

Scott rolls his eyes. “Because it would be inappropriate.”

She folds her arms. “Scott, come on. We’re both adults; we’re both fully clothed. The bed is a queen size. There’s no reason we can’t take half and half. It’s just for one night. I’m not setting you up. We’re all mature here, right? It’s not a big deal.”

“It is a big deal, Nancy,” Scott answers, rather quiet. 

“Fine, suit yourself, but the offer stands if you change your mind,” Nancy tells him. He nods but pulls the door open anyway. She places the key into his hand, and he takes it without protest. Scott tips his hat at her before disappearing into the dark. Nancy sighs and shuts the door. She isn’t surprised by his answer, and she suspects she was a bit forward. Nancy has spent many investigations sleeping in odd locations. Sharing a bed with a suspect is hardly the worst. 

Nancy settles into the bed almost regretting giving the key to Scott. She wishes she could slip out of her jeans, but on the off chance Scott breaks and comes back into the room for either the bathroom or for a comfier sleeping place, she knows she has to remain decent. Nancy snuggles deeper into the pillows slipping into dreamland when she hears the sound of a click. 

She peaks up slightly and recognizes Scott’s outline against the door. He closes it softly before sliding the chain in place. Nancy watches him set the key on the table before sitting into the chair. “The bed’s more comfy,” she mutters sleepily. 

“I figured you’d be asleep,” Scott whispers. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t,” she motions at the spot next to her. “Come on. Just do it but make sure you take your gym shoes off. I don’t want to be kicked in the night.”

Scott’s silent for several minutes, and Nancy figures he’s determined to suffer through the back pain of tomorrow to avoid any possible embarrassment he’ll suffer sharing the bed with her. But finally, she hears the chair squeak and his footsteps as he rounds the bed. Scott gets off his shoes against the motel wall before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

He sits there for several seconds probably petrified, but soon enough, he slides his legs under the cover and rests into the pillow beside her. 

“Goodnight, Scott,” Nancy calls.

“Goodnight, Nancy,” he answers softly, and it’s the last thing she hears before falling asleep.

The first thing she hears as consciousness pulls her back in is Scott snoring. It’s a loud, buzzing noise in her right ear, and she peaks an eye open to find his location. The second thing Nancy notices is his arms wrapped around her. 

Nancy’s heart thumps as she realizes that somehow in the middle of the night they had managed to get entangled, and she has to fight her first reaction to pull away, waking him. Her back is against his chest, and she can feel the weight of his head resting firmly against hers. She breathes slowly, calming herself. It’s not unpleasant, she lets her sleepy mind think, and she figures she can stomach the closeness. She closes her eyes to catch a few more minutes of sleep. 

When Nancy wakes the second time, she’s alone in the bed, and she can hear the shower running. She stretches and yawns, getting the blood pumping again, and her mind latches onto the memory of waking in Scott’s arms. Nancy colors thinking about it. It doesn’t mean anything, her brain responds, and she knows it’s right. _But it doesn’t ever feel that way,_ she thinks. 

Nancy shakes her head, banishing that thought, and stands up. She slips her shoes on and opens the curtains. It doesn’t matter how their bodies touched last night. Scott’s still a suspect and mostly a grump. A niceish evening and a shared bed doesn’t change that. 

“You’re up.” Nancy jumps at Scott’s voice and turns to see him running a towel through his hair. “How’d you sleep?”

“Good,” she gives a short response feeling awkward again with the memory of them curled together. Scott doesn’t seem to notice. “What about you?”

“I slept fine,” Scott sits on the bed and reaches down to pull on his socks and shoes. “Thanks for, um, well, you know.”

Nancy waves him off. “It’s the least I could do.”

Scott nods then looks up at her. “Called Chase; he should be on his way soon. I also talked to the guy in the office, and he said there’s a McDonald’s down the road. I know you said you don’t like them, but I was thinking about grabbing breakfast. Do you want me to pick you something?” 

Nancy smiles at the gesture. “I could go for some coffee and whatever egg and bacon sandwich you can find.” She reaches for her wallet, but Scott stops her. “What are you doing?”

“My treat,” he answers. “After all, you paid for the room and dinner last night.”

Nancy thanks him and follows him to the door. “Just let yourself back in. I’m going to shower while you're gone.” 

He nods his understanding then waves as he takes off away from the motel. Nancy feels a smile form across her face as she watches him before she shuts the door with a sigh. She steps lightly towards the bathroom and a hot shower she desperately hopes will banish the feeling of two arms around her. 

**Author's Note:**

> It doesn’t lead to sex so I’m probably doing it wrong but whatever 😹


End file.
